Annie Hasserjian
French Intimacy
This is an exploration of French intimacy-- what is life like inside, in people’s personal spaces? As a newcomer to France (and someone who doesn’t gravitate towards photographing people, nor in indoor spaces) I took this as a challenge to explore indoor life in Paris, using friends’ apartments, as well as my own. I found that photographing people and their intimate spaces to be an awkward (but interesting) dance between the boundaries of personal space and the hospitality and warmth I was received with. I found these spaces to be chaotic, but beautiful personality reflections of the subjects involved. In the convergence of factors of comfort, physical space, and personality, was formed a unique triangular, one that makes small Parisian apartments so unique and welcoming. Whether it’s having a view of your neighbor’s toilet from your window, or making-do with crooked walls, or filling entire walls with bookshelves, going along with the quirkiness of it all is what makes life in Paris a bit different from elsewhere.
